Patent Application
20090291768
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of amusement devices, particularly teeter-totters. Specifically, the invention relates to a single rider teeter-totter balanced with elastic members.
2. Background
Teeter-totters, also known as seesaws, have long been popular items of playground equipment for children. Teeter-totters come in various configurations, but most are fundamentally similar. In the most basic configuration, a teeter-totter can be simply a plank supported near its center for pivotal movement.
A variation of the conventional two-rider teeter-totter is one adapted for use by a single rider. One-sided, single-rider teeter-totters typically consist of a pivoting seat with a counterbalance, such as a spring, to balance the rider's weight. The rider rides up and down on the seat in a bouncing manner against the elastic resistance of the spring or other counterbalance device. Early versions of such teeter-totters are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 935,854 issued to Linerode and U.S. Pat. No. 1,533,261 issued to Pattison. An improved spring balanced single rider teeter-totter is shown in Applicant's earlier U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/473,636, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Applicant's earlier spring-balanced teeter-totter provides a highly enjoyable riding experience; however, the spring mechanism is somewhat costly. A similar teeter-totter may be more economically produced using elastic cords or bands to provide the counterbalancing resistance.
The present invention provides a single rider teeter-totter having a support frame and a longitudinal beam member pivotally coupled to the support frame. A seat for a user is attached to a first end of the beam member. A counterbalancing resistance is provided by a plurality of elastic members, each of which is attached at a first end to the support frame. A number of the elastic members appropriate to the weight of the user are secured to a securing station disposed on the beam member. The unused elastic members may be secured to a second securing station attached to the support frame.
In the following description, for purposes of explanation and not limitation, specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced in other embodiments that depart from these specific details. In other instances, detailed descriptions of well-known methods and devices are omitted so as to not obscure the description of the present invention with unnecessary detail.
Seat 26 is attached to seat support member 24. Seat 26 may be constructed of a molded foam, wood or plastic material. A handle bar 28 is attached to the upper portion of seat support member 24. The weight of a rider in the seat 26 is counterbalanced by elastic members 30. These elastic members may be made of natural or synthetic rubber or, more preferably, may be similar in construction to conventional “bungee cords”. The lower ends of elastic members 30 are secured to forward support member 14.
The upper ends of elastic members 30 are fitted with knobs 32. A securing station 34 is disposed at the forward end of beam 22. The securing station has an array of fingers separated by slots for retaining knobs 32. The fingers are spaced so that elastic members 30 fit within the slots, but knobs 32 are retained by the fingers. The securing station may also be cut into the tube wall of forward support tube 14 thus eliminating the need for additional material or fastening. A second securing station 36 is attached to arm 38, which is attached to pivot support post 18. A selected number of elastic members 30 are secured to securing station 34 to provide a counterbalancing force appropriate to the weight of the user. The unused elastic members 30 are secured to securing station 36 to keep them neatly stored while not in use. Alternatively, unused elastic members 30 may simply be allowed to rest on the ground or supporting surface, in which case securing station 36 may be omitted. As shown, the upper ends of elastic members 30 are fitted with a pair of slightly spaced apart knobs 32. The lower knob is retained by the securing station, while the upper knob can be more easily grasped to engage or disengage the elastic member from the securing station.
It will be appreciated that the elastic members may instead be attached to the forward end of beam 22 and that the securing station 34 may be disposed on forward support member 14. In this case, the unused elastic members may simply be allowed to hang from beam 22. This arrangement, while equally effective in counterbalancing the rider, is less convenient since it would be more difficult to insert and remove the elastic members from a lower securing station.
Although securing stations 34 and 36 are shown with a fixed array of fingers, at least station 34 may be configured with hinged fingers that may be folded over knobs 32 to more securely retain the elastic members being used to provide counterbalancing resistance. Securing station 34 may be constructed as a separate element or may be integrally formed with beam member 22. Securing station 34 may be attached to beam member 22 so that it is vertically adjustable, thereby providing an adjustment for the rest height of seat 26.
In the event of failure of an elastic member, or if the resistance is not properly selected, or if the rider is simply overly exuberant, impact with the ground is cushioned by bumper 25 attached to seat support member 24. Furthermore, the design of generally U-shaped rear support member 16 ensures that the rider will not contact any of the frame members at the bottom limit of travel and also eliminates pinch points in the vicinity of the seat.
In each of the above-described embodiments, a selected number of the elastic members are secured between the beam member and the supporting frame to counterbalance the weight of a user for bouncing action.
It will be recognized that the above-described invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the disclosure. Thus, it is understood that the invention is not to be limited by the foregoing illustrative details, but rather is to be defined by the appended claims.
This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending application Ser. No. 11/473,636 filed Jun. 23, 2006, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 11473636 | Jun 2006 | US |
| Child | 12534307 | US |
